


Missions

by Aithilin



Series: First Meetings [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 15:24:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10539225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aithilin/pseuds/Aithilin
Summary: Nyx had never been one to keep secrets from his friends. Crowe was not going to let him have one now.





	

They had been back from their mission for less than three hours before Nyx was grabbing his civilian clothes and taking off. They had time to debrief, to report in, and to start on the plans for the night. As soon as talk among them turned to food and drinks, Nyx was grabbing his things and heading out.

He was halfway to the door, bag slung over a shoulder before offering a hurried; “Going to pass this time.”

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Crowe demanded, not impressed with the grin and easy, dismissive wave. “It’s your turn to buy.”

“Don’t wait up!”

“Fuck you, Ulric.”

That was the first time she suspected something was up. 

The second, she had noticed the radio silence from Nyx on the way out to the field and on the way back. She thought he was sleeping, huddled down in the corner of the transport with the cargo— it wouldn’t have been the first time Nyx managed to fall asleep while they had been packed away with the rest of the weapons. It wouldn’t be the first time Nyx had curled himself up in a corner like a puppy, oblivious to the pain it was going to cause him later. 

It wasn’t until she was closer that she realised he was speaking quietly. On a private channel. She knew he saw her coming, but that didn’t stop her surprise at the soft; “Give me a minute, babe.”

“Who are you talking to?”

“What’s up, Crowe?”

“You called someone _babe_. The last time you did that, I had to keep you from getting a name tattooed on you.” There was a violent shake of the truck as them moved through the Wall and back into safety. “Who are you talking to? Who did you get a private channel for?”

Clearly someone with high clearance. Someone military, or trusted by the royal family and their guards. That at least would narrow down the pool. Still… She nudged at him with her boot.

“Don’t you dare just smile at me, Ulric. Who’re you hiding?”

“You ever think I don’t introduce you to people because you’ll scare them?”

“Damn right I will. Is she cute? Will I like her?”

The truck shuddered to a halt, and the orders to get into HQ for a debrief came through the speakers. Crowe could only glare after Nyx fucking Ulric as he smirked at her and pushed the doors open enough to flood the truck with the fading daylight. “Never said she.”

Crowe was on a mission after that. 

She knew every nook, cranny, and alley Nyx could take around the city. She had tracking spells, could lift Pelna’s toys, find ways to make sure she knew where Nyx was. She had a hundred tricks and a hundred traps she could use to get the answers she wanted— to dig out the details of what Nyx was up to.

In the end, she just showed up on his doorstep. 

They had manoeuvres in the morning, and the rest of the day free— the routine of training, honing, perfecting still a staple in their lives after years of service. Still a familiar routine in the idle between missions to the front. It was the ease into a leave, usually— the changing of the guard. Train with the newest recruits, get them good and scared of the old guard, and then let them loose against the real terrors attacking the last Lucian bastion. 

But the routine was familiar— train in the morning, take the rest of the day before leave starts. 

Normally, Nyx was out alongside them. Taking the wind down after rushing through obstacles and war games. He usually had the first round, usually sweet-talked whatever place they settled on for lunch into opening the bar for them. This time, he headed home. And Crowe followed. 

She followed at a few moment’s pace. Enough to let him get settled and comfortable in his apartment. It wasn’t an invasion of privacy if she was just checking up on her friend. It wasn’t prying if she could pass it off as genuine concern (or someone’s concern, anyway). Nyx wasn’t an introvert, and he had been passing off more and more trips out for their little family than she liked. 

“Nyx?” Crowe barely knocked before she had her spare key in the door. She tossed in the last bit in case he accused her of spying— she was _concerned_ not _nosey_. “You good?”

Out of everything she could come up with— every scenario she could think of actually happening— there were only two that had ever seemed plausible. Either there was nothing going on and Nyx was just sick of hanging out for a bit. Or she was going to walk in on one of her best friends having sex with some mystery person she was dying to uncover. Either way, Nyx was probably going to kill her. 

She didn’t expect to hear is laugh— to see Nyx opening drinks in his kitchen. Two drinks. He was smiling— looking like he used to back home, back when he was comfortable in his bar; welcoming, open, at peace. 

She didn’t expect to see the Crown Prince sitting on her friend’s bed, in his terrible little apartment. She didn’t expect to see that dark mop of hair and too-bright eyes, or the _fucking prince_ so at ease in Nyx’s shitty little apartment, reaching for an offered drink. 

“What. The. Fuck?”

“Crowe? Shit.”

She didn’t realise that she had frozen in the doorway until she was dragged inside. Until she saw the _prince_ tense, unfolding himself from where he had been sitting a moment ago. 

The prince was standing by Nyx’s bed, eyes suddenly focused on Nyx as her friend forced her attention on him. Away from the _fucking prince_. 

“Crowe, what the _hell_?” Nyx’s grip on her arm was tight, he was focused only on her, and Noctis was focused only on him. “What are you doing here? What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Are you _fucking_ the _prince_?! Are you an _idiot_ , Nyx?”

That was probably the wrong choice of words, definitely for the situation. Definitely with the Lucian heir standing right there. She saw the rage in Nyx’s eyes, the absolute anger at her demand. Regret and confusion were definitely not what she was expecting. Definitely not with Nyx bruising her arm. 

“Yes, and yes,” Noctis’s voice was the only calm thing in the room. And her eyes flicked from her childhood friend to the way the prince had reached for Nyx’s arm. “You finished scaring your friend, hero? Because I still want that drink.”

Crowe saw the change— the anger moving to just a low boil under that touch. As soon as her arm was released, she punched Nyx’s shoulder. “What the hell?”

She expected Nyx’s tantrum, the huff and the short stalk back to the kitchen to get a third bottle from the fridge. She didn’t expect Noctis to move into her line of sight with an endearing look of concern. Or the offer of his hand. “Nice to meet you, Crowe. Nyx is an ass.”


End file.
